Repair of hernias, most commonly in the abdominal wall, is one of the most frequent surgeries performed today. Surgically implantable mesh patches are often used for the repair of these hernias and intended for permanent placement within a patient's body space. A mesh patch is implanted in the patient to provide structural strength and minimize the chance of hernia recurrence. An example of such a hernia mesh patch is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,539 of Eldridge et al.
Hernia repair utilizing mesh patches, however, typically presents at least the following difficulties. First, mesh patches typically do not have enough memory in the mesh material to easily return to a planar position once the mesh patch is inserted within the abdominal cavity. This makes accurate placement of the mesh patch difficult, as it will not easily hold its shape once inserted. Second, mesh patches typically lack points to secure sutures or other protection that would keep the surgeon from injuring anatomical features under the mesh during fixation. This aggravates the problems in accurately and evenly placing the mesh. Third, once a mesh patch is inserted into a patient, it can be difficult to manipulate, place, and hold the mesh patch in the correct position over the tissue being repaired. These issues encountered during the installation of patches may lead to non-uniform and unequal attachment of the patch to the abdominal wall around the hernia, which subsequently may lead to complications for the patient and, in some cases, may be life-threatening.
Modifications have been made to the mesh hernia patches in an attempt to address these issues. For example, a mesh with a “memory ring” has been developed to address the first issue. The memory ring is a mono-filament that is contained in the perimeter of the patch. The mono-filament has sufficient spring tension and memory to keep the mesh planar once in place. This memory ring, however, is bulky and sometimes does not work well. Further, it leads to additional foreign material being placed in the patient, which may also lead to medical complications.